Easels are used for holding paper or canvas in a generally inclined upright position for drawing, painting or other creative work thereon. The upright inclined work surface of the easel enables access to the full work surface by the artist while reducing the risk of smudging or smearing the art medium. In general, easels are large and bulky items which require adequate storage space. Frequently, art painting supplies are kept in a separate cabinet or in other areas. Prior art shows portable easels and containers for storage of artists' supplies, such as fixed cabinets and mobile carts.
Tripod easels with collapsible legs are commonly used in outdoor settings where consistent flat surfaces are unavailable. For fixed location activities, desks with top surfaces which may be pivoted into a vertically inclined position are well known.
Various portable easels for occasional use, such as by art students or children during periodic play or art instruction activities, are also known. One type of portable easel consists of two top hinged planar work surfaces which are assembled in an A-frame configuration on a table or desk top with hinged side members which retain the work surfaces inclined at a desired angle. These portable easels, when not in use, must be stored in horizontal stacks on the floor or on shelving or may be leaned against a wall or cabinet where they may easily be dislodged or accessed without authorization by children. Furthermore, the collapsible hinges can pinch children's fingers.
In the elementary school room or at day care facilities space is at a premium. In these environments, easels are used for only a fraction of each day and must be easily accessible and storable and should not present any possible hazards to children by unsecure storage, such as in tall stacks or leaned against vertical surfaces. Furthermore, it is desirable to associate the portable easels with storage for the various art supplies used in conjunction with the desired artistic activities.
In the day care and school setting, furnishings must be easy to maintain and clean, and must also be safe for children to use. What is needed is a functional unit which combines art supply storage space and easel storage, which is easily assembled and moved, which is stable when used by children, simple to maintain, and which can be used for other purposes when not serving as an easel workstation.